Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 6 Jun 2011

Our popular news catch-up service is posted Monday to Friday at 8.0am. You can rely on it to keep you up to date through the working day with the main news talking points. IMF BACKS OSBORNE ON ECONOMYThe IMF has lent its support to chancellor George Osborne's austerity cuts and said that no changes were needed to the UK's economic policy. It said that weak growth and rising inflation were "unexpected", but "largely temporary". It predicted that the UK economy would grow 1.5 per cent this year. Last year the forecast was two per cent. The Mole: Bullish Osborne seeks to defy gloomy economists IMF: no change in UK economic policy needed STRAUSS-KAHN PLEADS NOT GUILTYDominique Strauss-Kahn, former head of the IMF, has pleaded not guilty today to seven charges arising from his alleged abuse of a chambermaid at the Manhattan Sofitel hotel in May. He faces up to 25 years in jail if found guilty of attempted rape and a criminal sex act. His lawyer believes the case is "very defensible". Both sides 'confident' as Strauss-Kahn trial begins YEMEN's opposition accepts vice presidentThe Yemeni opposition says it would accept a transfer of power to vice president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the country's leader Ali Saleh left for Saudi Arabia, seeking "urgent medical attention" following Friday's assault on his compound. Saleh's departure was greeted with celebrations on the streets. Saudi Arabia won’t send Saleh back – will they? In pictures: Yemen celebrates GERMAN E.COLI TESTS NEGATIVEThe first tests from a farm in Germany, thought to be the source of Europe's E.coli outbreak, are negative according to officials. Thgere were 40 samples taken from the farm, that produces bean sprouts, and so far 23 have proved negative. Spanish cucumbers had been blamed for the outbreak which has killed at least 22 and made more than 2,200 ill. ROONEY POSTS HAIR TRANPLANT PICTURE ON TWITTERWayne Rooney has posted a picture of his bruised and bloody head on social networking site Twitter after admited to having a hair transplant at the weekend. The picture, apparently taken in the back of a taxi, was accompanied by the message: "It will take a few months to grow. Still a bit bloody to [sic]. But that's all normal." Has Wayne Rooney received a personality transplant? CABLE THREATENS TOUGH ANTI-STRIKE LAWSBusiness secretary Vince Cable was booed and heckled by delegates at the GMB union's conference as he warned them that the mass public sector strike of 750,000 workers called for June 30 will lead to demands for tougher union laws. He told delegates that pressure on him will "ratchet up" if the strike goes ahead. A union leader said it was an "extremely unhelpful threat". Cable to warn unions: strikes mean tougher laws PALIN CLAIMS AMERICAN HERO WAS HELPING BRITISHSarah Palin's 'Patriotic' bus tour took a historical wrong turn yesterday when she stopped in Boston and told the locals that their most revered Revolutionary War hero, Paul Revere, had actually been signalling the British rather than the rebels in his fabled 'the British are coming' midnight ride of 1775. The gaffe has brought media ridicule. NADAL BEATS FEDERER TO TAKE FRENCH OPENWorld number one Rafael Nadal took the French Open title yesterday with a hard-fought victory in four sets over Roger Federer. Nadal, 25, has now won the title six times, equalling Bjorn Borg's record. The victory ensured that he stays at the top of the world rankings ahead of Novak Djokovic. Nadal celebrates, Federer waits for Wimbledon COWELL IN TALKS TO GET COLE BACK ON 'US X FACTOR'Simon Cowell is in "highest level" meetings with US X Factor producers Fremantle Media and Fox TV to get singer Cheryl Cole reinstated as a judge, publicist Max Clifford said last night. He said Cowell wants her back, but all parties "have got to be happy". He denied the saga had been a publicity stunt. AMERICANS ANGRY AT GOD OVER ECONOMIC HARD TIMESTwo-thirds of Americans are "angry at God" over the current recession, a Newsweek/Daily Beast poll reveals today. Anxiety at 9.1 per cent unemployment, soaring petrol prices, reduced jobs and crashing house values has left Americans sleepless and struggling with "relationship problems".

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